Sterilising Combs

[EmsE]

When i began bee keeping, i didn't expect my medicine cupboard to expand to include honey bee medicines. Bearing in mind I normally have antihistamines, pain killers and my boys epipen, the bees stuff is already taking up more space than mine and the kids together.

I haven't managed to get any acetic acid and don't have Formic either but was wondering if oxalic acid could be used in solution (at a stronger concentration than that used for the trickle method) to sterilise brood combs.

I am hoping Santa bring me an Easi-steam from thornes for Christmas, but in case he doesn't, (and in case anyone else needs to know) I thought I'd ask.

[gavin]

I wouldn't bother trying oxalic. It isn't volatile and so you would need to spray it on. The bees would have to lick it off when they use the comb. That may not do them much good, and it could contaminate honey crops. Acetic and formic will more or less disappear if you allow the combs to air before you use them, and you can treat using an absorbant cloth laid on the top bars in a box subsequently sealed in a bin bag.

I use acetic when I have a batch of used comb I'd like to re-use, but then I more often just replace with new these days. As I have EFB and AFB around me, such precautions seem worthwhile. Particularly so when I'm giving away old comb to beginers trying bait boxes. Probably still worth sterilising comb in Kilbarchan. You could have Nosema and viruses, although they are less persistent than the foulbroods.

Thornes seem to sell acetic for collection: http://www.thorne.co.uk/index.php?ro...roduct_id=5311

Not one for the medicine cabinet (or indeed any area children could access) especially with large volumes.

G.

[EmsE]

Thanks Gavin,

Always wondered why oxalic was never mentioned for this purpose but it makes sense. Whenever I've been to Thornes in the past I've not seen it- I'll remember to ask next time.

No child can reach my medicine cabinet- even I struggle.

[Mellifera Crofter]

...I haven't managed to get any acetic acid ...

I got acetic acid from ReAgent by post.

Kitta

[Jon]

Acetic acid 80% is a strong acid which needs to be handled carefully as it could cause serious burns.
Oxalic acid at 5% or whatever when trickled is unlikely to be much of a danger although you would not want to get it in your eyes.
Acetic is the best way to clean comb and as far as I know it gets rid of almost everything except AFB spores.
I treat any spare comb with acetic acid fumes for a week and I also clean all my apideas and apidea frames with it.

[gavin]

.... it gets rid of almost everything except AFB spores...

Quite right with your gentle correction. Acetic fumigation when you don't have visible, active disease might help knock down some of the bacteria that may be around when you are in a foulbrood area - but don't expect it to do wonders for AFB. Whether it reduces the risk of an AFB outbreak from bubbling up at all is something I don't know.

Any visible sign of either disease and the frames are gone, either through shook swarming for mild EFB cases (under the watchful eye of a bee inspector) or destruction for AFB (ditto).

[Jon]

Oops, wasn't intentionally correcting you Gav. I know my place!
I have a vague memory of this discussion taking place a few years ago on the bbka site and it might have been Ruary Rudd who pointed out that acetic would sort out EFB but not AFB spores. It is definitely very efficient at getting rid of nosema spores.
I probably should recycle frames more often than I do but I tend to fumigate and reuse them.
AFB is rare here and I have never heard of a case of EFB in N Ireland although there have been a few notorious incidents such as the case Meg Seymour detected in the demonstration hives at Gormanston a couple of years ago.

[gavin]

Absolutely no problem with being steered in the right direction sometimes - sometime we all need it!

[Bridget]

Ok going back to topic - how long would you use comb before you steamed it off the frames or fumigated it? Considering how long it takes for the bees to draw the comb I thought you re-used it to reduce the time a following year. that's why I extracted my honey from the combs and then gave the empty sticky combs back to the bees to clean up. Just laid them on the QE - they did a great job. Then wrapped them in cling film and stored in a plastic box with lid till the supers go on next year. Was this right? Should they be fumigated?


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[Bridget]

Ok sorry you were talking about brood combs but I would still like to know how and when this should be done.


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